Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams

Dave Nagel has been a professional developer and educational consultant both nationally and internationally since 2003 and has done so as his primary job in education since 2008. Prior was a middle and high school science teacher and administrator in a large district in Indianapolis. As a school leader at Ben Davis High School (enrollment 3000 students) Dave was instrumental in developing a focused plan for differentiated goals for students based on specific proficiency measures which supported the school in improving its graduation rate 14% in just over 4 years. Dave's primary areas of expertise are in the areas of effective teacher and leader collaboration, assessment and feedback, and specifically effective grading actions both at the school and classroom level. He has been working specifically with Professor John Hattie's Visible Learning research since 2011 that is a driving force for all of his work with teachers, coaches, and administrators. He has authored 5 books previous to this one, including four within the PLC+ series of publications (Corwin). Published multiple times in various publications such as Principal Leadership and Educational Leadership, Dave has also presented at various national conferences. Dave has a strong moral aspect, strives to be very relatable and practical when working with people, and has a savvy sense of humor that supports him in his life and work. Dave stays very busy with his beautiful and supportive wife, Kristen, and three boys (ages 20, 15, and 13). He acknowledges every day that the Lord guides his actions and is the driving force in his life. Dave is an independent consultant for Corwin Press and is the owner of NZJ Learning LLC (named after his three boys) and the Founder of The Center for Collaborative Expertise. Bruce Potter is a school administrator with over 30 years experience. Bruce began his career as a classroom teacher and has held leadership roles at the building level as a principal and at the district level as a superintendent for 11 years. In 2013 he secured special legislation which was signed into law by the Governor of New York to open a public school for at-risk and special education students who were identified by their home districts as future high school dropouts. Over a 6 year period, they achieved a graduation rate of 80%. In his current role he is leading his district's certification as a Visible Learning school through the implementation of effective PLC's. Over the course of his career he has shared his district's successes at several national conferences. Bruce is an independent consultant for Corwin Press and is co-founder of the Center for Collaborative Expertise

Foreword Acknowledgments Publisher's Acknowledgments About the Authors Part 1. The Breaking Point-And the Blueprint A Tough Truth Urgency in the Teacher Workforce It Goes Deeper Stop Looking Across the Street-Look Inside A Path Forward: What Data Tell Us Systems Thinking and Collaborative Expertise Are Nonnegotiable Chapter 1. The Need for Expertise The Quest for Expertise The Need for Expertise in Teaching Examples of Enhancing Probability The Need to Scale Expertise in Our Schools Chapter 2. Unlocking Potential: Dismantling Barriers to Collaborative Educational Expertise Collaboration: True Potential Catalyst for Driving Collective Expertise It Takes More Than a Model Failed to Live Up to Their Promise Chapter 3. A Model for Developing Collaborative Expertise A Vision for the Future Conclusion Part 2. Collaborative Expertise Team FrameworkTM for Impact The Nine CETeam Frameworks for Driving Impactful Collaboration Maximizing Impact: The Interdependence of All Nine Frameworks Chapter 4. Framework 1: Relevance to Role Lack of Relevance = Lack of Engagement 2. Align Macro Goals With Micro Actions Example: Empowering Belonging in PLC Settings: Goal to Action Clarity Prioritizing Collaborative Time Spent on Goals Example: Willow Creek Elementary (45-minute weekly PLC) 3. Ensure Transparent Purpose for ALL Aspects of Collaboration Conclusion Chapter 5. Framework 2: Tier 1 Professional Learning: Aligning PL?PLCs Expertise Is Built by Professional Learning, Not Training Monitoring Consistency: Staying the Course in Professional Learning Chapter 6. Framework 3: Teams of Significant Impact Build for Impact Not (Just) Convenience The Structure Must Support the Purpose Conclusion Chapter 7. Framework 4: Guiding Questions Drive Deep Inquiry Consistency of Your Inquiry Model Digging Deeper into Guiding Questions With a What, Why, How Approach Conclusion Chapter 8. Framework 5: Cognitive Diversity, The Power of Thinking Differently-Together Utilizing Cognitive Diversity as a Driver of Team Effectiveness and Impact From Like-Minded to Impact-Minded Conclusion Chapter 9. Framework 6: Ensuring Relational Trust and Psychological Safety Culture is What You Do; Climate Is How It Feels Psychological Safety: The Fuel for the Fire Critical Need for Psychological Safety in Schools Trust: The Key That Unlocks Potential Three Types of Trust, With Relational Trust as the North Star Cohesive Commitments Driven by Developing Shared Commitments (Values) Chapter 10. Framework 7: Authentic Norms and Commitments to Drive Effective Collaboration Norms Extend Beyond Education Norms Drive Authentic Adult Engagement Establishing Norms for All Fundamental Aspects of Collaboration Co-Constructing Norms Chapter 11. Framework 8: Team Leadership and Cohesion: The Anchor of Impactful Collaboration Fostering Cohesion: The Role of PLC Leaders in Developing Collaborative Expertise 1. PLC Leaders/Activators Establish and Protect Strategic Focus 2. PLC Leaders/Activators Ensure a Businesslike and Mature Approach for Collaboration 3. PLC Leaders/Activators Support Team in Clarifying Roles and Maintaining Accountability 4. Capitalize on Strengths to Maximize Collective Expertise 5. Designing Purposeful PLC Work Through Consistent Use Routines, Protocols, and Adaptive Action Systemizing Team Collaboration for Maximum Impact Chapter 12. Framework 9: Scaling Success: How to Expand Collaborative Expertise Across Your School Scaling Success in Schools: Five Drivers of Scalable Impact Driver 1: Clarifying Core Practices-Monitoring What Matters Most Quick Summary Driver 2: Create Conditions for Endurance and Driver 3: Streamline for Replication Driver 4: Empower Ownership and Driver 5: Embrace Adaptive Growth Putting It All Together-Scaling for Success Avoiding Regression-Working Through the PIT Conclusion: Scaling Success Is the Work Chapter 13. A Call to Action, the Courage to Transform Schools Embracing Strategic Coherence Cultivating Belonging Through Empowerment Ensuring Consistency of Action Leveraging Collaborative Expertise The Courageous Path Forward References Index

"As an educator, I found this book to be an honest and insightful reflection on the challenges teachers face in today's classrooms. The author skillfully highlights real issues within the U.S. education system and offers thoughtful, practical strategies to address them. A valuable contribution to the ongoing dialogue about improving teaching and learning." -- Subuhi Owais "Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams is a must read for any leader who struggles with obtaining impactful results from their teams. The book provides a very specific roadmap for that leader to take their teams to higher levels of learning and effectiveness, thus positively impacting the culture of the school." -- Vince Naccarato "Clear, accessible, and grounded in practice, Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams offers school leaders and teacher teams practical guidance for building authentic collaborative learning cultures. With vivid vignettes and useful tools, it is an indispensable resource for transforming school communities." -- Jameelah R. Wright "This book offers a powerful blend of research-based insights and practical strategies that leaders can implement immediately. It delivers tremendous value with actionable examples, clear frameworks, and tools that support real collaboration. From fostering shared language of learning to addressing implementation gaps as systemic opportunities, this resource equips school and district leaders with the clarity and structure needed to strengthen teams and student outcomes." -- Saundra Mouton "A timely, research-driven roadmap for building collective expertise that transforms teaching teams into engines of student growth." -- Alexander Roberts "By linking PLC research and Visible Learning to authentic, data-driven strategies anchored in success criteria, this book empowers teachers, administrators, PLC team members, and Collaborative Expertise Teams with the tools to deliver high-impact results at every level of education.>" -- Patrick Peters "This book provides a clear, research-based roadmap for building the collaborative expertise schools need to thrive. With practical tools and compelling case studies, it bridges theory and practice in ways that educators can immediately apply." -- Sarah Lawlor "Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams by David Nagel and Bruce Potter is exactly the resource today's schools need. As an experienced educator and school leader who has studied John Hattie's research extensively and implemented both the Teacher Clarity Playbook and PLC+ Playbook, I approached this book with a critical eye, and was thoroughly impressed. This book strikes a powerful balance between theory and application. It is rich with practical tools, rubrics, self-assessments, case studies, and clear guidance for building collaborative expertise across any school setting. What makes it especially effective is its accessibility. Even readers unfamiliar with Hattie's work will find the concepts approachable and the structure intuitive due to the authors' clear writing style. I strongly recommend this book for publication. If I were in a position to purchase copies for my team, school, or district, I would do so without hesitation. It offers exactly what our leadership team needs to move forward with strategic coherence and deepen our culture of collaboration. In fact, we plan to use it as the foundation for a future book study and implementation cycle. This book has the potential to impact not just schools, but any organization striving for collective growth. It's a timely and valuable contribution to the field." -- Jon Konen "You are about to enjoy the most practical handbook for developing collaborative expertise teams in your school." -- Ken Darvall "This book not only provides a reason for why school leaders should and need to consider what they are doing in terms of supporting sustained school improvement when it comes to student achievement, they have provided practical tools to support that work. Through real stories leaders can see how these are utilize in school's context." -- Ray Boyd "Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams provides practical, realistic, and useful guidance via actionable frameworks, tabulated high-impact strategies, implementation tools such as PLC agendas and reflection logs, and realistic acknowledgments of constraints, positioning the text as a valuable resource for fostering sustainable educational transformation over a three-to-five-year horizon." -- Felipe Sepulveda "Developing Collaborative Expertise Teams is one of the most comprehensive manuscripts that I have had the pleasure to read in quite a while! It provides practical and useful guidance and will be a resource to a wide array of educators for varying reasons and purposes." -- Lynn Macan "Improving student performance requires engagement, commitment and consistency, not only from the student but, perhaps even more importantly, from the adult stakeholders. This book provides a useable and relatable blueprint for effectively engaging staff for intentional collaboration for the betterment of the students. The authors present research-based practices, and provide vignettes, graphics and protocols to introduce those practices in any school environment." -- Martin J. Hudacs